| Paintball has been around for many years now. While | | | | carefully designed camouflage patterns, fabrics to |
| it started out as a niche pastime amongst mainly | | | | facilitate airflow, and other features hobbyists would |
| enthusiasts of war games, its popularity soon spread | | | | almost certainly overlook, or never even think to |
| and the hobby now draws fans and participants from | | | | include. While these features arguably make the |
| many varied backgrounds. Businesses even began | | | | wearer more effective, more to the point is that the |
| sponsoring "retreats," promoting the game as a | | | | cost - when compared to the price of regular clothing, |
| team-building exercise. Eventually, leagues were | | | | added to the time and resources spent developing |
| developed, fields built, and an entire industry sprang-up | | | | them for use in the sport - is reasonable. Why spend |
| around it. These days, specialty equipment is designed | | | | time and money developing homemade gear which |
| specifically for the sport, including paintball guns, goggles | | | | may or may not be acceptable in competition when |
| and protective gear, and clothing. | | | | official equipment, maximized for play and guaranteed |
| Equipment | | | | to be allowed in the game, can be purchased for an |
| While many players prefer to create their own | | | | equivalent, or lesser, price? |
| equipment and clothing, official league play often | | | | Official Gear |
| requires professional-grade gear which must be | | | | Obviously, participants have to buy official, |
| purchased from retail outlets. Luckily, most of this can | | | | professionally manufactured paintballs and paintball |
| be found online, though many large sporting goods | | | | guns in order to play, but many prefer to create their |
| outlets carry at least a small assortment of paintball | | | | own clothing and protective gear. While this was fine in |
| gear and accessories, and some areas even have | | | | the earlier days of the sport, even necessary in some |
| stores dedicated to the sport. These professionally | | | | cases, those days are long gone. Professional-grade |
| manufactured accessories are developed by top | | | | paintball gear, equipment and accessories are now |
| designers and play tested in the field for maximum | | | | widely available at competitive prices, both online and |
| results. | | | | off-. Paintballing is far more a sport than hobby now, |
| Take paintball pants, for example: | | | | and accessories from companies such as Draxxus, |
| While any ordinary pair of heavy pants would suffice | | | | Stingray, Tippman, and others are sure to outperform |
| for most players, the pants which are manufactured | | | | homemade gear, cobbled together by amateurs. Even |
| for official, competitive league play, are created by | | | | better, the time and resources saved allow for more |
| major designers and rigorously tested by professional | | | | time to focus on the really important things, like |
| athletes before being released to the general market. | | | | practicing. |
| Many include kneepads, extra protective measures, | | | | |